Preparing our children for a future transformed by AI

As the leader of an organisation focused on filling in the gaps in early childhood education, I have spent countless hours contemplating the future that our children will inherit. With each passing day, it becomes increasingly clear that the role of technology in the workplace will only continue to expand. Specifically, the advent of artificial intelligence and conversational AI models like ChatGPT will revolutionise the working world that our children will enter in 2043.

For those who are not familiar, artificial intelligence (AI) is the ability of machines to learn and perform tasks that would typically require human intelligence, such as pattern recognition, decision-making, and natural language processing. ChatGPT, on the other hand, is a conversational AI model that can answer questions, generate text, and even engage in natural language conversations with humans.

As a business leader, I see the impact of these technologies as both exciting and somewhat daunting. On the one hand, AI and ChatGPT will undoubtedly create new jobs and industries, many of which we cannot even imagine today. On the other hand, they will also transform many existing jobs and industries, potentially rendering some obsolete.

So, what can we do to prepare our children for this future? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Emphasise creativity and problem-solving skills

While AI and ChatGPT will be able to perform many tasks that were previously reserved for humans, they will never be able to fully replace human creativity and problem-solving skills. These are uniquely human attributes that will always be in demand in the workplace. Therefore, it is crucial that we encourage our children to develop their creative and problem-solving abilities from an early age.

There are many ways to do this, including encouraging imaginative play, exposing children to diverse experiences and viewpoints, and providing opportunities for them to tackle challenging problems and come up with their own innovative solutions.

2. Teach critical thinking and information literacy

As AI and ChatGPT become more prevalent in the workplace, it will be increasingly important for individuals to be able to critically evaluate the information that they are presented with. This includes being able to distinguish between reliable and unreliable sources of information, as well as being able to identify and analyse biases and assumptions.

To prepare our children for this future, we should focus on teaching them critical thinking and information literacy skills. As parents, we need to lead by example. So why not invest some time in reading and analysing news articles with our children, or discussing scientific studies we have come across and even engage in debates with them?

3. Develop the Champion Mindset

In a world that is rapidly changing due to technological advancements, it is essential that our children develop what we at MindChamps call the Champion Mindset. The Champion Mindset is the brainchild of MindChamps’ Chancellor and Chair of Research, the renowned neuroscientist Emeritus Professor Allan Snyder, Fellow of the Royal Society. It is the culmination of decades-long research into neuroscience and distilled from the ground-breaking ‘What Makes a Champion?’ forums in both the Sydney 2000 and the Beijing 2008 Olympics, which studied champions from fie diverse fields of Business, Politics, the Arts, Sports and Science to identify the key attributes that all high achievers have in common, which Professor Snyder coined ’the Champion Mindset.’ Through his research, Professor Snyder was able to distil the 3 main characteristics of the Champion Mindset:

1. An abhorrence to being ordinary.

2. The courage to confront conventional wisdom.

3. The conviction that adversity – even failure – is integral to success. By developing the Champion Mindset in our children, we can help them to embrace challenges, persist through obstacles, and continue learning and growing throughout their lives. This will be especially important as new technologies and industries emerge, and the skills required for success in the workplace continue to evolve.

4. Embrace a lifelong love of learning

Finally, it is crucial that we encourage our children to embrace a lifelong love of learning. The rapid pace of technological change means that the skills and knowledge that are in demand in the workplace are constantly evolving. To remain competitive and successful, individuals must be willing to continually learn and adapt to new technologies and industry trends. This is why at MindChamps we teach our children how to learn not just what to learn. By instilling a love of learning in our children from an early age, we can help them to develop a lifelong habit of seeking out new knowledge and skills. This can involve encouraging them to read widely, pursue hobbies and interests, and seek out opportunities for professional development and continued education throughout their careers.

Nobody can imagine the working world our children will enter in 20 years’ time. But as the AI revolution continues, we can be sure that this world will be every bit as exciting and challenging as it is unpredictable. As parents and business leaders, it is our responsibility to prepare our children for this future by emphasising creativity, a love for learning and the Champion Mindset to thrive in the face of any challenge.